Exclusive video: Anthony confronts Garnett at Celtics bus

Exclusive video: Anthony confronts Garnett at Celtics bus

NEW YORK Boston's midtown matchup with the New York Knicks was a testy affair during - and apparently after - the Celtics' 102-96 win.

Several reports shortly after the game indicated that Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony charged towards the Celtics locker room before being restrained by teammates.

There was also another confrontation near the Celtics team bus where Anthony was nearby, waiting for Garnett.

A shouting match ensued, with police and security staying in between the players before things escalated any further. Knicks coach Mike Woodson eventually came on the scene to try and calm his star player and get him away from the area.

You can bet that Anthony will get a call from league security regarding the incidents of Monday night, with a potential punishment of some sort - maybe even a suspension - will be handed out.

Anthony's post-game tirade seemed to take some of the events near the end of the game to another level.

Throughout the game - but particularly in the second half - Anthony had a number of verbal exchanges with C's big man Kevin Garnett.

It got to the point where both were whistled for a double technical foul by official Tony Brothers.

Even after the double technical, it was clear that the verbal tit-for-tat was still alive in well as both players could be seen frequently still tossing verbal barbs at one another.

Celtics coach Doc Rivers had little to say when asked about Anthony approaching his team's locker room after the Celtics win which extended Boston's winning streak to three in a row.

"I'm going to let y'all figure that one out. I'm going to stay out of that. If it was the playoffs I'd tell on him," quipped Rivers. "But since it's not I'm just going to be quiet."

Garnett chalked it up to just a couple of players trying to do what they can to help their respective teams be successful in a tightly contested game.

"Heat of battle, guys go back and fourth," Garnett said. "He's trying to get his team to go, I'm trying to get my team to go. Both teams are colliding; not to mention it's the Knicks and the Celtics. That's just what it is."

Rivers also downplayed the incident.

"The game just got heated. It's basketball," Rivers said. "There's nothing wrong with getting heated. It happens. It's a fun game, it's competitive. It's rough at times and that's good. I think all that's good. It should never carry over past that. I had my moments as a player as well. It does happen but you don't want it to; and whenever it does, you feel terrible later.

Rivers added, "This is the way the game should be played to me. It should be competitive, hard game."

Two more Pastrnak goals pull him into tie for NHL lead with Crosby

Two more Pastrnak goals pull him into tie for NHL lead with Crosby

BOSTON – While the loss to the Avalanche on Thursday night was a monumental dud, it put another dazzling display on the hockey resume of David Pastrnak.

The 20-year-old star right winger scored two more goals in the 4-2 loss at TD Garden and nearly brought the Bruins back into the game by himself before another defensive breakdown at the end of the second period doomed them.

Instead, Pastrnak had to settle with being the proud owner of 18 goals scored in 23 games that places him in a tie with NHL superstar Sidney Crosby for the NHL lead in goals.

The goals also showed his wide range of lethal offensive skills. On the first score, he just broke away from the Avalanche defense and managed to bury a second-effort breakaway chance after a nice Tim Schaller stretch pass off the boards. The second goal was a straight one-timer bomb from the high slot off a slick setup pass from Brad Marchand in the corner, and it had the Bruins right back into the mix after a dreadful first period.

It wasn’t enough when the B’s defense faltered again toward the end of the second period, but it was enough for everybody to be singing Pastrnak’s praises once again following the loss.

“He’s a game changer. The momentum is going the other way, and he has the ability to break away on any given shift and score a big goal for us. He did that tonight,” said Torey Krug. “We can’t just keep relying on the same guys to score goals. We’ve got to come up with secondary offense, and I know every other guy wants to do that.

“Now it’s about showing that on the ice and making sure we’re doing the work and getting better and proving to ourselves. But Pasta [David Pastrnak] has been great for us so far, and we’re obviously lucky to have him.”

The 18 goals barely two months into the season are not too shabby for a kid, in his third NHL season, who just now coming into his own. He’s nearly halfway to 40 before Christmas. For Pastrnak, however, it’s about the team result and he wasn’t overly satisfied with his two goals in a losing effort.

“I’ve said before the season that our goal is to make the playoffs and to have that experience and have the chance to win the Stanley Cup. I’m still focusing on that,” said Pastrnak, who has yet to experience the Stanley Cup playoffs in his two-plus seasons with the Black and Gold. “We have zero points from tonight’s game and we have to move on. I think our game gets better in the second and third periods, you know, and we have to regroup and get ready for Saturday’s game.”

The Bruins will undoubtedly regroup and once again count on another Pastrnak offensive explosion to help lead the way in what’s become a truly spectacular season for the youngster.

The former Red Sox manager (fired after a 69-93 season and last-place finish in 2012), and ex-New York Mets and Texas Rangers, skipper, also managed the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan’s Pacific League for six seasons.

Valentine, 66, has known the President-elect and Trump's brother Bob since the 1980s, is close to others on Trump’s transition team and has had preliminary discussions about the ambassador position, according to WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford.

Valentine, currently the athletic director of Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Conn., is also friendly with current Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who, like Valentine, attended the University of Southern California.